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By heart
Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter. Yet this is not always the case.
A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristecrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his hands. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual. It was simply a blank sheet of paper. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: ‘The light is dim. Read the letter to me.’ And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either也, the gaoler replied: ‘The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.’ With this, he hurried off the stage. Much to the aristocrat’s amusement, the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner.
New words and expressions
run (run, run)连映
lines 台词
part 剧中的角色
falter 结巴说
cast(cast, cast) 选派…扮演角色
role 角色
aristocrat 贵族
imprison 关押
gaoler 监狱长
colleague 同事
curtain 幕布
reveal 使显露
cell 单人监房
blank 空白的
squint 眯（眼）看
dim 昏暗
sire 陛下（古用法）
proceed 继续进行
1. run v.(戏剧,电影等)连演,连映;有效期；连载
句子：
The film is so successful that it runs for several weeks.
The contract has tow more years to run.
They ran the story in three issues.
2. falter vi 支吾,结巴说=stammer;蹒跚而行=stagger
句子
Eg: He has practiced the poem several times ,so he has no cause to falter.
He faltered home.
3. cast v.选派……扮演角色
固定搭配
be cast as /be cast in the role of 被分配演……角色（被动）
The actor was cast in the role of hero.
联想记忆
play the role of 扮演……角色（主动）
Johm played the role of Hamlet.
United Nations plays an important role in international affairs.
4. imprison v.关押
固定搭配
put sb imprison
He was imprisoned for 10years.
形变
imprisonment n.
sent sb to life imprisonment.
联想记忆
jail/gaol 监狱
sent sb to prison
put sb in prison
throw sb into prison
in prison 坐牢
He is in prison/jail.=he is behind bars.
5. reveal v.使显露,揭露，揭穿
句子
The secret hasn’t been revealed.
A curtain was up and revealed the beautiful scenery.
联想记忆
disclose 揭发
Disclose the truth
discover 发现
uncover 揭开具体的盖子
A very tight dress reveals the beautiful figure.
revealable a可展现的
revealer 探测器
conceal sb. /sth. from 向……隐瞒
6. squint v.眯着（眼）看，瞄
词句
squint one’s eyes and looked at the letter.
He squinted through the letter-box.
pear at 眯着眼睛看
7. dim a昏暗的
固定搭配
be dim about 不明白
He is dim about the importance of keeping records.
take a dim view of 对……不乐观，对……不以为然
Tom took a dim view of his chances of passing the exam.
8． gloomy （天气，心情）阴郁的
句子
He is in gloomy mood.
联想记忆
dusky a.（天色）昏暗的
Towards evening is getting dusky .
murky (天色)漆黑的，黑暗的
I can’t go out at murky night.
misty a.多雾的，迷蒙的
The building is out of sight on such a misty day.
9．proceed v.继续进行 particular after stopping
固定搭配
proceed to/with 进行继续某事
Let’s proceed to business.
You must proceed with your work.
proceed from 从什么着手开始继续
They proceed form lesson 1.
proceed against 起诉某人
He decided to proceed against his neighbour.
练习
1．It was not until after his marriage that he _____ his true wealth to his wife.
a. showed b. revealed c. confess
2. One of Shaw’s plays was so successful that it was performed more than 800 times______.
a. on run b. on end c. in the end
3. He told us something about the author first, and then _____ to analyse his poems.
a. go on b. went to c. proceeded
4. As supporters of the king, many ______ were executed during the period of French Revolution.
a. royal b. noble c. aristocrats
5. Even after so many performances, the actor still hadn’t _____ to learn the contents of the letter by heart.
a. managed b. come c. succeeded
6. He is a very clever boy and is always ____ in giving answers in class.
a. sudden b. immediate c. prompt
7. It’s very impolite to ______ at a foreigner.
a. see b. stare c. watch
8. Don’t you remember _____ me last year?
a. to meet b. meeting c. met
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